Free Software Foundation

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Read and share online: https://www.fsf.org/blogs/community/free-software-awards-recognize-those-who-advance-our-freedom-by-october-28th

Dear Free Software Supporter,

The work of dedicated contributors is at the center of free software's ability to empower users. Whether they're developers, documentation writers, community organizers, or inspiring new volunteers, everyone plays their own role in building the movement. Together, the work of these community members contributes to the technical excellence of free software, but more importantly, it makes it possible for everyday people to live a full digital life without compromising their freedom.

Each year, the Free Software Foundation (FSF) formally expresses our appreciation to these individuals and organizations through the Free Software Awards. These awards are given each year at LibrePlanet, our conference for free software community activists, domain experts, and people seeking their own solutions to problems like user-abusive antifeatures and bulk government surveillance. The Free Software Awards let these people and projects know that their work is deeply appreciated, and that they play a vital role in bringing this global movement toward its goals.

You might know of a contributor or organization who has done significant and user-empowering work on free software. We invite you to take a moment to show them (and tell us) that you care, by nominating them for an award in one of three categories: the Award for the Advancement of Free Software, the Award for Projects of Social Benefit, or the Award for Outstanding New Free Software Contributor. Don't assume that someone else will nominate them -- too often, everyone assuming someone else will express the appreciation means that it never happens. As taking initiative and speaking up for the community are important parts of free software, why not take the time yourself to make sure your voice is heard?

The deadline to submit your nominations is October 28th, 2020, at 15:00 UTC.

Award for the Advancement of Free Software

The FSF Award for the Advancement of Free Software is presented annually to a single individual who has made a great contribution to the progress and advancement of free software, through activities that are in accord with the spirit of the community. Last year's award was accepted by Jim Meyering, whose work on GNU Coreutils and numerous other utilities was foundational in the early development of the GNU operating system, and helps to keep it robust. Previous winners include Deborah Nicholson, Karen Sandler, Alexandre Oliva, and Matthew Garrett.

Submit your nomination for this individual award here!

Award for Projects of Social Benefit

The FSF Award for Projects of Social Benefit is presented to an organization or team responsible for applying the principles of the free software movement to a project that intentionally and significantly benefits society in other aspects of life. Last year's award was accepted by Let's Encrypt, an HTTPS certificate authority that has made great strides in democratizing security on the Web. Previous winners of this award include OpenStreetMap, Public Lab, SecureDrop, GNU Health, Tor, and the Internet Archive.

Submit your nomination for this project/team award here!

Award for Outstanding New Free Software Contributor

The Award for Outstanding New Free Software Contributor is presented annually to an individual newcomer to the community who has demonstrated an outstanding dedication to software freedom. The award recipient must have made their first significant free software-related contributions in 2020, and show a pattern of ongoing activity. Their contributions may have included things like: empowering the community by organizing local meetups, software development, becoming involved in the strategic or logistical planning of a project, working on documentation, or helping to make improvements in the environment to attract and keep contributors. Last year's award was accepted by Clarissa Lima Borges, who upon beginning an internship through Outreachy, immediately hit the ground running on improving usability tests for GNOME desktop applications.

Submit your nomination for this individual award here!

In the face of threats to user freedom coming from every different angle -- including the ongoing pandemic -- let's press forward by showing the hardworking members of our movement that we deeply appreciate their dedication.

In freedom,

Greg Farough
Campaigns Manager